Bed sheets and similar mass produced items such as bedspreads, curtains and table cloths are usually folded into an attractive, dense package, with the label of the product exposed for inspection by the potential customer. Sometimes the sheet is wrapped in a transparent package. Because the sheets, etc. are manufactured in different sizes, it is desirable to fold the different size sheets in different ways so that the packages formed by the sheets are approximately the same length and width, regardless of the size of the sheet. This means that a smaller sheet will have fewer folds than a larger sheet. For example, a sheet for a "single" bed is narrower than a sheet for a larger "twin", "queen" or "king" size bed, and while the single size sheet may have as many folds across its length as the other size sheets, it is likely to have fewer folds across its width.
Various techniques have been developed for folding sheets, including various hand and automatic techniques. For example, a sheet may be folded across its length, then across its width, and again across its length, or a sheet may be folded several times across its width to form an elongated shape, and then folded several times across its length. In some instances, particularly when automated folding equipment is utilized, a sheet may be wound in a tube, the tube flattened, and then the flattened tube folded across its length.
Hand folding of sheets and the like is cumbersome and slow because of the large expanse of material that must be handled by the workers. While various automated folding apparatus has been developed for folding sheets and the like, they are large and require a substantial amount of floor space, the apparatus is expensive, and in some instances, the operation of the apparatus is slow and requires a substantial amount of operator time.